Getting Ready for Winter Storage
by Jim Grant

Another season of sailing is behind us. This is the time to put everything right for next year. If the work is done well, we will all be able to get out on the water sooner next spring. There follows an end-of-the-year checklist that I have found useful in maintaining my sail and canvas inventories:

1. Clean and dry. Mildew does not grow on synthetic fabrics but it does nicely on any dirt that may have accumulated on the surface of the material. Unfortunately, cleaning sails and canvas can reduce their durability. If the cleaning process is too thorough, the resins used to stabilize sailcloth tend to be broken down and the coatings used to make canvas water resistant tend to be washed out. So any cleaning should be confined to spraying the surface of the fabric with water and lightly brushing stubborn spots. This actually proves quite effective if it is followed by a careful drying. Note that it is not a good idea to dry sails by leaving them in the sun -- ultraviolet light is the number one enemy of Dacron and nylon. If your canvas is no longer water repellant, coat it lightly with 303 Fabric Guard.

2. Prevent rodent damage. Mice in particular seem to like to eat Dacron sailcloth and acrylic cover cloth. I don’t know why. It certainly cannot be nourishing. But, whatever the reason, you can be sure that the ragged holes that seem to appear like magic in fabric during periods of storage are caused by rodents. There are two solutions to this problem. First, you can suspend your sails in bags from the rafters in the garage. I’m sure the critters could overcome this obstacle with some effort, but it has worked for me quite well for a number of years now. The second ploy can be combined with the first to practically guarantee protection. Add some mothballs to the sail bag. Rodents apparently do not like the smell of mothballs. Indeed, I sprinkle mothballs inside all of my boats to protect life preservers, cushions, line and even headliner material. One application lasts all winter long.

3. Check for wear. If you use your boat at all during the season there will be some damage done to the sails and covers. Edges are worn and frayed or stitches are abraded away. Both problems are easily repaired if they are caught early. Fold narrow widths of Dacron (we call this "sail tape") over those edges. Baste everything in place with double sided adhesive tape and sew. The abraded stitches, if caught soon enough can be resewn easily. If the seam has actually separated, then use double sided tape to baste it in place smoothly before sewing. The weight of the Dacron used in such work and the size of the thread is not at all important. And any sewing machine should be able to handle this work -- if yours is not up to the task, however, there is nothing wrong with a little hand stitching.

4. Pay special attention to batten pockets. Battens tend to cause the fabric surrounding them to abrade quickly. And the elastic that is sewn inside the inner end of the pocket tends to loose its elasticity in as little as two years. So every couple of years pull your batten pocket assemblies apart at the inner end (use a seam ripper carefully to accomplish this). Replace the elastic and, while you have the layers of cloth separated, patch any areas that show signs of wear. As always, baste all patches in place with double sided tape prior to sewing to make sure everything stays flat and smooth. Any problems at the outer end of the pockets will be apparent without pulling the assembly apart. But, if repair is necessary, that end of the pocket assembly will have to be pulled apart as well.

5. Repair boltrope sleeve damage. Those of us with small boats slide the leading edge of our mainsails up a slot in the mast. The sleeve that encircles the boltrope wears out and the sail eventually tears away from its rope. If caught soon enough, a proper repair makes use of a three or four inch wide strip of Dacron sailcloth (weight is not important but 5 ounces is normal). Fold this sail tape in half and sandwich it over the boltrope and sleeve assembly. Baste it in place with double sided tape and then sew it. There should be a final row of straight stitches placed just in back of the boltrope with a zipper foot in the machine to keep the patch material firmly round the back of the boltrope. This zipper stitch helps to prevent future wear by keeping the tape away from the edges of the slot. If your sail has full length battens and batten pocket end protectors along the boltrope, it will be necessary to remove those protectors before repairing the boltrope sleeve. Boltrope repair in front of the headboard is difficult because headboard removal requires drilling out many rivets -- in the process the boards are usually damaged. I often sidestep this repair by simply hotknifing away the boltrope in front of the headboard. Secure the rope in its sleeve just below the board before you do this since you will probably cut away the hand work that previously tied the boltrope to the head of the sail.

6. Check all grommets carefully. Grommets can pull away from the cloth in which they are placed. A proper fix requires removal, repair of the fabric underneath, and replacement. Removal can be difficult. A Dremel tool can be used to cut through the metal or vice-grip pliers can be used to "worry" the metal parts apart. Once the old grommet is gone a layer or two of Dacron can be sewn over the hole. Cloth weight need not be matched here -- the end is just to get a healthy strength in the area around a new grommet. If a larger grommet is used in replacement, the cloth patch is often not required.